BILL LANKHOF, QMI Agency

The NL Central continues to be an arms race between the Reds and Cardinals.

Milwaukee’s only hope is that general manager Doug Melvin can somehow pull a wild card out of the crossfire with an unproven pitching staff and a St. Louis defector.

Milwaukee this week signed free agent Kyle Lohse, who was 16-3 with the Cardinals last season but left when he couldn’t squeeze a multi-year deal out of St. Louis management. Lohse is a gamble, but Melvin desperately needed someone to slot behind ace Yovani Gallardo.

St. Louis and the Reds feature solid rotations, depth in the bullpen, plus everyday lineups that rank among the best.